Application of Particle Image Velocimetry to Analyse Thermal Performance of LPG Cooking Burners

Thermal performance of three different types of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) domestic cooking burners, i.e. a conventional radial flow, a vertical flow and a swirling flow were analyzed by means of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). PI V diagnostics can explain the burners’ performance from their corresponding flow fields at an impingement area. With the difference of flow patterns, larger attacked area to the impingement surface increased the heat transfer time i.e. higher thermal efficiency. Dynamics properties i.e. velocity magnitude and turbulent intensity at the in vicinity of the pan’s bottom well correlated with thermal efficiency of the three burners. Even for the same type of burner with difficulty in distinguishing their difference by the naked-eye, with a powerful of this technique, heat transfer characteristics are clearly explained. The main objective of this work is to firstly apply a PIV technique as a tool for analyzing thermal performance of LPG cooking burners.